Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Mine That Bird is scheduled to arrive at Saratoga Aug. 3 to begin preparations for the $1 million Shadwell Travers (gr. I) on Aug. 29.
The 3-year-old Birdstone gelding ran third by 1 3/4 lengths as the second betting choice in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. II) Aug. 1 at Mountaineer.
“We’re really excited about coming to Saratoga,” said Chip Woolley, trainer of Mine That Bird. "We think the 1-1/4 mile distance of the Travers will suit him much more (than the 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby) and he should also get a much better set up with a larger field likely.”
Owned by Dr. Leonard Bloch and Mark Allen, Mine That Bird pulled off a 50-1 shocker in the Kentucky Derby followed by a narrow second place finish in the Preakness (gr. I) to Rachel Alexandra and a third place finish in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I).